--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Was insanity just a matter of dropping…" description: "\"Was insanity just a matter of dropping the act?\" — Susanna Kaysen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/susanna-kaysen-3041_dropping_was-insanity-just-a-matter-of-dropping-t_1701159.png" --- # Was insanity just a matter of dropping the act? ![“Was insanity just a matter of dropping the act?” quote by Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/susanna-kaysen-3041_dropping_was-insanity-just-a-matter-of-dropping-t_1701159.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/susanna-kaysen-3041_dropping_was-insanity-just-a-matter-of-dropping-t_1701159.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/susanna-kaysen-3041_dropping_was-insanity-just-a-matter-of-dropping-t_1701159.png) > “Was insanity just a matter of dropping the act?” [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questioning whether madness is a role we play rather than an inherent condition. **In simple terms:** Insanity may be a performance. Key Takeaway Consider how you label mental states. Themes mental health identity performance societal expectations Mood reflective introspective Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - therapy sessions - self‑reflection - role‑playing games - social interactions Key Concepts psychology social construct self‑perception Questions to Reflect On - Is mental illness a social role or a medical condition? - How does labeling affect recovery? A Different Perspective May overlook biological factors of mental illness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Insanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insanity/) [Madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madness/) ## Related quotes > [Was everybody seeing this stuff and acting as though they weren't? Was insanity just a matter of dropping the act?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/was-everybody-seeing-this-stuff-and-acting-as-though-they-weren-t-was/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [The SPF Act is just one of many common sense bills I plan on dropping. This act finally ends the yearly forwards/backwards time-change cycle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-cawthorn/the-spf-act-is-just-one-of-many-common-sense-bills-i-plan-on-dropping/) [Madison Cawthorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-cawthorn/) > [“What if insanity is just a heightened sense of perception?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ania-ahlborn/what-if-insanity-is-just-a-heightened-sense-of-perception/) [Ania Ahlborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ania-ahlborn/) > [“This clarity made me able to behave normally, which posed some interesting questions. Was everybody seeing this stuff and acting as though they weren't?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/this-clarity-made-me-able-to-behave-normally-which-posed-some-2/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [“Was everybody seeing this stuff and acting as though they weren't? Was insanity just a matter of dropping the act? If some people didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/was-everybody-seeing-this-stuff-and-acting-as-though-they-weren-t-was-2/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [Insanity is just what we call stupidity when it doesn't make sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/insanity-is-just-what-we-call-stupidity-when-it-doesn-t-make-sense/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [“Insanity is just another made-up word; No different than irregardless”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alonzo-sherrell/insanity-is-just-another-made-up-word-no-different-than-irregardless/) [Alonzo Sherrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alonzo-sherrell/) > [“Men…” I huffed. “No guts, no glory…Do you guys stop to consider the insanity of all of it, or do you just charge ahead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-a-george/men-i-huffed-no-guts-no-glory-do-you-guys-stop-to-consider-the/) [M.A. George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-a-george/) > [Anyway, madness and genius. 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I mean the quality of the insanity, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/insanity-comes-in-two-basic-varieties-slow-and-fast-i-m-not-talking/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [Everyone is on the verge of insanity ... insanity meaning on the verge of the unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-is-on-the-verge-of-insanity-insanity-meaning-on-the-verge-of/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“insanity is the inability to communicate your ideas. It’s as if you were in a foreign country, able to see and understand everything that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/insanity-is-the-inability-to-communicate-your-ideas-it-s-as-if-you/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Not everyone is capable of madness; and of those lucky enough to be capable, not many have the courage for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/not-everyone-is-capable-of-madness-and-of-those-lucky-enough-to-be/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) ## More by Susanna Kaysen > [I had an inspiration once. I woke up one morning and I knew that it was my task to swallow fifty asprin.It was my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/i-had-an-inspiration-once-i-woke-up-one-morning-and-i-knew-that-it/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [I don't have a whole bunch of literary connections. I don't write reviews or attend writer's conferences. I'm kind of shy and don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/i-don-t-have-a-whole-bunch-of-literary-connections-i-don-t-write/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [Light like this does not exist, but we wish it did. We wish the sun could make us young and beautiful, we wish our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/light-like-this-does-not-exist-but-we-wish-it-did-we-wish-the-sun/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [If I could have any job in the world I'd be a professional Cinderella.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/if-i-could-have-any-job-in-the-world-i-d-be-a-professional-cinderella/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [Lunatics are similar to designated hitters. 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When men are angry at women, they call them crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/when-women-are-angry-at-men-they-call-them-heartless-when-men-are/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [ Disease \[is\] as one of our languages. Doctors understand what disease has to say about itself. It's up to the person with the disease… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/disease-is-as-one-of-our-languages-doctors-understand-what-disease/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [“Asa had a sharp understanding of the future--that is, a time when this would be past. 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